The New Girl
by Violet Rose of Darkness
Summary: Ash has always wanted a female friend. Now she has one in the form of Diamond Sparks. What will happen when Ash finds out about Diamond's life away from her friends? And does Ish have feelings for the new girl? Is Diamond meant to be a Guardian? IshxOC AshxRicky or AshxJackson not really sure which yet. Slight AngkoroxStellaria Crappy summary. Please just read.
1. Chapter 1

**So I've noticed that everyone's kind of given up on NFL Rush Zone. People are deleting/abandoning stories and it's really sad because I really enjoyed those. See, what's great about us is that there are so little of us that we enjoy all the fics we can get. We can't even argue about ships cuz we ship them all! I remember when the archive was thriving. Now, it's as if the NFL Rush Zone fandom is an inch from death. I'm going to try my best to put the spark back into it.**

 **OoOoOo**

Fifteen year old Ashley "Ash" Reynolds might be a total tomboy and she might only have guy friends, but that didn't mean she didn't _want_ a girl friend. There are just some things guys don't understand when it comes to girl problems. And it's be nice to talk about it with someone. Even though they were slowly becoming closer, Ash didn't feel comfortable talking with Linda about certain things yet. And she was definitely _not_ going to go to her dad.

So when she's assigned to show the new girl Diamond Sparks around, Ash is determined to become her friend.

"I just don't understand _why_ you're so excited," her best friend Ishmael "Ish" Taylor said exasperatedly as they were getting their books for their first period from their lockers. "It's just a new kid. We get them at least once a year."

Ash sighed. "Of course you don't understand," she shot back. "Imagine being surrounded by six girls for four years and having little to no contact with the anyone of the same sex." She grinned when Ish shuddered. "Exactly." Her watch gave a little beep. "Oh! I gotta go!" With that, the redhead sped off to the principal's office.

Ash knocked on the door. "Come in," she heard. Ash walked into the principal's office and her jaw almost dropped. Standing in front of her was the most beautiful girl she's ever seen. She had mocha brown skin and curly chocolate brown hair. What really brought attention to her was her eyes. They were a unique amethyst color that she's never seen on anyone before. Ash vaguely wondered if they were contacts, but decided it would be rude to ask. She had a perfect hourglass figure and wore a black leather jacket and black leggings along with black combat boots.

"Ashley," Principal Hike began (she flinched at the use of her full name). "This is Diamond Spark. Miss Spark, this is Ashley Reynolds. I trust Miss Reynolds can show you around the school without any problems.

Ash nodded. "Of course Principal Hike," she said obediently. God, she hated that woman. "I'll look out for her."

The principal nodded and the girls made their way out of the office. As soon as the door closed behind her, Diamond rolled her eyes. "God, how can you stand that woman?" she asked. "It sounds to me like she just likes to hear herself talk."

Ash laughed. "Yeah," she agreed. "She just goes on and on." The redhead stuck out her hand. "I'm Ash by the way. Please don't call me Ashley."

Diamond shook Ash's extended hand. "Good to know I've met at least one sane person in this joint," she commented. "The kids at my last school started a riot because they canceled Pizza Friday. Then when they got Pizza Friday back, they started _another_ riot or the hell of it."

Ash grinned. "Well, my friends are semi-sane," she joked. "I'll warn you though, they are all guys."

Diamond shrugged. "Are any of them cute?" she asked innocently.

Ash chuckled. "You're asking the wrong girl," she replied. "I think of them all as my brothers." She thought about it for a moment. "Well, except for-" Ash quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.

Diamond smirked. "Well, I can't wait to meet _your_ friends," she taunted playfully.

Ash's face matched her hair. "Shut up," she muttered, earning a laugh out of Diamond.

OoOoOo

Luckily, Ash and Diamond didn't have any classes with the guys until after lunch, saving Ash a lot of embarrassment. When lunch finally rolled around, Ash invited Diamond to sit at their table. The African American girl accepted and the two sat down. Ish was the next to come into the lunch room. He was about to greet Ash as he normally did, when his eyes fell on Diamond. His jaw dropped as he stared at the beautiful girl.

Diamond grinned. "Red, I think I broke your friend," she quipped.

Ash looked confused for a second before a slow smirk began to grace her freckled face. "Ish, this is Diamond," she said. "Diamond, this is my friend Ish. Isn't she pretty, Ish?"

"Yeah," Ish mumbled without thinking. Realizing what he just said, he snapped out of his trance and blushed. "I mean-"

"Well hello ladies," a voice saved Ish from embarrassing himself further.

Ash facepalmed. "Hi Troy," she greeted, silently hoping Troy wouldn't drive away her only female friend. "And Marty, Ricky, and Tua. This is Diamond." Her green eyes narrowed at Troy. "You can try flirting with her, but be aware that she can and will kick your ass."

Diamond smirked. "That isn't _in_ accurate," she quipped playfully.

"Di, why don't you hang with us later at the Bulldog?" Ash asked. "It's the best hangout in Canton."

Diamond shrugged. "Why not? Sure thing Red," she agreed. "I'll be there."

Ash beamed. "Great!" she exclaimed. "We're meeting at four."

Diamond glanced at the clock. "Shit," she swore. "I got history next." Damn. That was the one class she and Ash didn't share. "I gotta go Red. It was nice meeting you boys."

"Bye Diamond," Ash and the boys said in unison. Save for Ish, who was staring at her retreating form.

Marty smirked. "Ish, you might not want to look at that particular spot for too long," he joked. His friend was unresponsive.

Ricky caught on. "Dude, stop staring at her butt," he said, always the blunt one.

Ish's head snapped away from Diamond. "I wasn't!" he insisted.

"Then what _were_ you staring at?" Tua teased. "Her hair?"

Ash snickered. "Don't deny it Ish," she mocked. "You were staring at her earlier too." She turned to the other guys. "I think he has a thing for her.

Ish blushed furiously. "Oh shut up all of you," he mumbled, making his friends laugh.

Ash grinned, an idea forming in her head. _Ish and Diamond would make a really cute couple,_ the redhead thought. _Maybe I'll get Marty and Ricky to help me set them up. Marty won't take much convincing. And Ricky seems to be more compliant with me these days..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, I'm shocked to say the least. Two whole reviews, that's more than I'm used to per chapter. Anyway, let's get on with this. Also, I think I might've said that they were in high school last chapter, so I'm changing it to eight grade. They're still teenagers, but not quite teenagers yet (if that even makes sense).**

OoOoOo

"For the last time, Red. I'm not doing it," insisted Diamond as the two girls sipped their smoothies at the Bulldog. In the last two months since Diamond had transferred to Canton Middle School, she and Ash had become close friends. She also got along pretty well with the rest of the group, something that the redhead was grateful for. "Besides, I don't have a date." She glared at the redhead with her vibrant violet eyes.

"Please, Di?" begged Ash. "I'll be all alone with five clueless boys and I don't have a date either.

Diamond rolled her violet eyes. "I am _not_ wearing a dress," she said adamantly. "And if you want a date so bad, why don't you ask Ricky or Jackson? You and I both know they want to ask you."

Ash blushed profusely. She had told Diamond that she had a huge crush on Ricky (something that she would never admit to anyone else), but also thought that Jackson was a big sweetheart. "Why don't _you_ ask Ish? He obviously wants to ask you." she retorted. She continued before her friend could answer. "And who said we have to wear dresses? Please? I promise we'll have fun." Ash gave her a pleading look.

Diamond stubbornly looked away. "Don't look at me like that, Red," she snapped. "You know I can't resist the puppy dog eyes." She groaned. "Ugh, fine! I'll go to the stupid dance."

Ash beamed. "Thank you," she said relieved. But inside, she was smirking. _Phase one of get Diamond and Ish together is complete,_ she thought evilly.

OoOoOo

"Dude, you should ask Diamond to the dance," suggested Marty randomly. He, Ish, and Ricky had just finished playing catch and were taking a small break. Ash had asked him and Ricky to help her get their friend and the new girl together. Marty was all for it because he thought that Ish and Diamond would look cute together and Ricky would do just about anything that Ash asked him to. _He's whipped,_ the blond thought, grinning.

Ish looked at him quizzically. "Why?" he asked. "I barely know the girl."

"You know that you think her butt is cute," Ricky added. "Dude, just give it a shot. The worst she can do is say no."

"Or kick my ass to next week," said Ish, blushing. "I don't know guys..."

"If you ask Diamond, Ricky will ask Ash," promised Marty.

"Wait, what?" Ricky demanded. "Marty, I did not sign up for this."

"Deal," agreed Ish.

"Great, you can both do it right now," Marty said. "They're at the Bulldog." Ricky and Ish each nodded and began to walk towards the Bull dog. "Wait, you guys can't go like _that_!"

"Like what?" asked Ricky.

"Empty handed!" cried Marty. "You have to buy them flowers, chocolate, write them a message in the sky! Do something to make it special! Girls like that sort of thing. It lets them know that you care."

Ish and Ricky looked at Marty in shock. "How do you know that?" the former questioned.

Marty waved away his question. "It doesn't matter," he insisted. "What matters is that you two get your asses over to Stop & Shop and at least get them small bouquets."

OoOoOo

"Marty wait!" pleaded Ish as Marty pushed him and Ricky to the Bulldog. "I'm not ready!"

"Don't be such a wimp," mocked Marty. "Ricky's not whining."

"That's not fair!" exclaimed Ish. "He's known Ash almost as long as we have! I just met Diamond a month ago!"

"Just get in there!" Marty ordered the two, pushing them through the door. As soon as he was alone, her grinned evilly. "Heh, killing two birds with one stone. By this time next year, I might be an uncle." He smiled goofily as he walked away to meet up with Tua and Troy soemwhere.

Ricky shrugged. "It's either now or never, dude," he said as the two made their way over to where the two beautiful girls were sitting.

Diamond noticed them first. "Hey, Taylor, Cervantes," she greeted. "What brings you here?"

Ash beamed. "Hi guys!" she said, happy to see her best friend and her crush.

Ricky decided to go first. "Ash, can I, er, talk to you?" he asked. "Alone?"

Ash raises an eyebrow suspiciously, but nods. "Sure," she says, following him to he other side of the Bulldog. "So, what's up?"

Ricky sighed. It was now or never. "Ash, will you go to the dance with me?" he asks, handing her a bouquet of lilies. He had picked lilies to give her because they reminded him of her; beautiful and innocent.

Ash blushes and smiles. "I would love to go with you!" she exclaims, practically attacking him with a hug. He embraces her back just as tightly and the two stay like that for about a minute (which is a very long time for a hug). They pull away, a silly smile on Ash's face and a goofy grin on Ricky. "I assume the 'mission' went well?"

Ricky's grin stayed on his face. "Yup," he stated proudly. "He's asking her right now."

Ash bit her lip. "I hope she says yes," she says worriedly, more to herself than to Ricky. "Diamond can be so stubborn sometimes."

Ricky chuckled. "Then her and Ish are a match made in heaven." The pretty redhead next to him laughs lightly, making him smile widely as well.

Diamond raises an eyebrow questioningly. "Are you gonna say something, Taylor?" she asks. He had been staring at her for the last minute or so and it was starting to creep her out.

Ish seemed to snap out of his trance as he blushed. "I, um, would you like to go to the dance with me?" he asks hopefully, handing her the bouquet of violets he picked out for her. He choose violets because they matched her eyes and were vibrant and fierce, just like her.

For the first time since they met, Ish sees a visible blush on beautiful Diamond's face as the usually calm and collected girl turns into a stuttering mess. "I would, er, like to, um, go with you Taylor," she says. Suddenly, her eyes meet his. "But are you sure you want to go with _me_?"

This confuse Ish thoroughly. "What do you mean?" he inquires. "Of course I do."

Diamond sighs. Her face is serious as she speaks. "Ish, there are things about me you don't know," she reveals. "Bad things. Let's just say, I'm not a ray of sunshine. I'm surprised Red still hangs out with me. I'm surprised _any_ of you still hang out with me." She averted her eyes from his. "Do you know why I transferred, Taylor? Do you know why I'm here?"

"No. I just assumed you moved or something."

"I got kicked out," Diamond confessed. "I got into a fight with some guy. I broke his leg in three places and dislocated his shoulder. If the teachers hadn't pulled me off of him, I would have done worse. Much worse. You don't want to go to the dance with me, Taylor. Trust me." If she was being honest with herself, she didn't know why she was telling him this. If she was talking to Red, maybe. But why Taylor?

"I think you should let me decide for myself if I want to take the risk," said Ish, his eyes swimming with determination. "Please, give it a chance. I really want to go with you."

Diamond sighed again. "Fine," she agreed. "but you don't know what you're getting yourself into, Taylor."

Ish boldly took her small hand in his larger one. "I'll be the judge of that," he insisted, looking right into her eyes.

OoOoOo

 **So, what did you think? I'm sorry if Ash was too OOC, but in my defense, I haven't watched NFL Rush Zone in a long time. Anyway, please review (reviews are love) and I hope you're still interested enough to read the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I'm back! I just want to thank Nobel Six for reviewing on both chapters. You rock, dude!**

OoOoOo

Diamond was frantic as she left the Bulldog. _Why did I say yes?!_ she asked herself. Don't get her wrong; Ish was a nice guy and she did like him, but after what happened at her old school... She didn't even like to _think_ about it, let alone talk about it. Diamond had only told Ish half the story, she wasn't ready to reveal to anyone what had actually happened. _Calm yourself, Spark. It's just a dumb school dance, not a date or anything._

Her rationalizing did not make her anxiousness go down. Diamond did her best to ignore it as she made her way to her 'home,' if you could even call it that. She took out her key, unlocked the door, and entered the small house. "Aunt Cierra? I'm home." She didn't even know why she bothered, Diamond knew exactly where her aunt was. Sure enough, a woman with dark skin and curly hair was passed out on the couch with a half empty bottle in her hand.

Diamond scowled and took the bottle from her aunt. She poured its contents down the drain and threw away the bottle. _I can't believe she found my hiding place again. Damn her. Damn her to hell._ Diamond's anger towards her aunt was justified. Her wealthy parents had died when she was six, leaving her with her mother's younger sister. At first, her aunt was a good guardian, caring and loving. Then, she began to drink. That was when Diamond's life turned into a living hell. Suddenly, her aunt was brining home men every weekend. While she wasn't looking, these men would do... _things_ to her niece. That was why Diamond tried to be out of the house as much as possible on the weekends.

Diamond scowled again and went up to her room, slamming the door behind her. She hated this. She hated her aunt, she hated those men, she hated her life. At least she had Red, Taylor, and the others. They made her horrible life at least semi-bearable. Suddenly, her door swung open, revealing her drunk aunt. "What did you do with it, you little shit?!" she demanded hotly.

Diamond kept her face emotionless. "Do with what, Aunt Cierra?" she asked innocently.

Cierra grabbed the color of her shirt roughly. "My alcohol!" she shouted. "Tell me where it is!"

Diamond smirked. "Probably in the sewers by now," she answered coolly.

Cierra clenched her teeth. "You brat!" she yelled. "I agree to take you in, give you food and clothes, and provide a roof over your head and _this_ is how you repay me?! I should have left you to rot in an orphanage!"

Diamond's anger began to grow as the smirk slipped off her face. "I wish you would have! I hate this!" she retorted. "I hate the awful men you bring home, I hate that you're a drunk, I hate the way you are, I hate that I'm related to you, I hate y-!" Diamond didn't get to finish her sentence as a swift, hard slap was delivered to her face. She stared at her aunt in shock as she raised a hand to caress her forming bruise.

Cierra suddenly realized what she just did. "Diamond, I-" she began, leaning towards her niece.

Diamond's violet eyes grew cold. "Don't touch me," she spat.

"Diamond, please-"

"Get out," commanded Diamond harshly. "Get out! I hate you!" Cierra looked at her sadly before exiting her room quietly. Once her aunt was out of the room, Diamond broke down in sobs. She and her aunt have had heated arguments before, but Cierra had never _hit_ her. This was bad. Diamond needed to get out of that house. Now.

OoOoOo

As Ish made his way home from the Bulldog, he couldn't help but feel giddy. Diamond had said yes. She hadn't yelled at him, laugh at him, or kick his ass. Despite his happiness, he couldn't help but worry about her. She had told him that there are things that he doesn't know about her. Bad things. She had said that she beat someone up so bad that she was kicked out of her old school. Why had she done that? Diamond hadn't said, but he couldn't make any judgements unless he had the full story.

It was dark and cold outside, so there shouldn't be anyone at the park. But in the distance, Ish could just make out a figure dressed in a thin hoodie sitting on a park bench. Though he tried to ignore the hero side of him, Ish was just too good of a person to not help someone. It was against his nature. So he made his way over to them and was shocked to see familiar curly hair. "Diamond!?"

The figure turned to him abruptly, revealing that it was in fact Diamond, he'd know those violet eyes anywhere. He could also see the tears coming from those eyes. "Oh, Taylor!" she exclaimed in surprise, rubbing her face until the tears were gone. "What are you doing here?"

Ish crossed his arms and gave her a suspicious look. "I could ask _you_ the same question," he retorted. "Why were you crying?"

"I wasn't," insisted Diamond. Had he not seen the tears himself, he might have believed her; she was a tremendously good liar. "Just got into a fight with my aunt and came here to think. No big deal."

Ish squinted his eyes, trying to make out the angry red mark on her cheek. "Is that a slap mark?" he demanded, his concern rising. "Who hit you?"

"No one," Diamond lied smoothly. "It's a rash."

"I just saw you half an hour ago and your face was clear," said Ish. "You couldn't have gotten a rash that fast." Why couldn't she just tell him what happened to make her so upset? Did she not trust him enough?

Diamond sighed heavily. "Taylor, I'm good," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to assure him. It wasn't working. "All you have to worry about is picking out a nice outfit for the dance, okay?" She winked cutely.

Ish blushed. "If you say so..." he trailed off, his voice laced with uncertainty.

Diamond grinned. "I _do_ say so," she teased. Against her better judgement, she kissed him on the cheek. It was only a light peck, but it was enough to make Ish's blush darken and Diamond's cheeks to adopt a blush of their own. "Also, please don't mention this to Red. I don't want to worry her. She needs to focus on her date, not me."

"Sure," agreed Ish. "I'll keep this between us." If only he knew what a mistake that was.


	4. Chapter 4

**Aw, I feel so bad for poor Diamond! Oh well, she's strong. Let's get on with it!**

OoOoOo

After Ish had left, Diamond had stayed out for a few hours more. She just couldn't go home, not after what had happened with Cierra. She was angry, sad, and hurt all at once and she didn't like it. Suddenly, car headlights shone brightly in her face. Diamond covered her eyes to avoid the light when she heard, "Diamond!"

Diamond opened her eyes to see her aunt running towards her. She got up and staggered away. "Get away from me!" she yelled.

"Diamond, listen to me," pleaded Cierra, still moving closer. "I'm sorry! Please just listen!"

"No!" Diamond refused. "You hit me! Ever since I moved in with you, my life's been nothing but hell and it's all your fault! I hate you!"

"You have every right to!" Cierra agreed loudly. "I have no excuse for hitting you or treating you the way I do." She paused, taking a deep breath. "Diamond, I have a problem."

"No shit," spat Diamond viciously. If her aunt didn't have a problem, there wouldn't be a slap mark on her cheek. If her aunt didn't have a problem, she wouldn't be out in the cold in the middle of the night by herself. If her aunt didn't have a problem, she wouldn't have been violated at the age of ten.

Cierra ignored her comment. "I have a problem and I need your help to get through it," she said. "I want to be the parent you deserve."

Diamond's amethyst eyes narrowed in suspicion. "No more drinking?" she asked.

"I'll quit for good," Cierra promised.

"No more bringing home men?"

"Consider them gone."

"Okay," Diamond conceded. "I'll help you with your booze problem. But only if you give one hundred percent of your effort to stop drinking."

"I will," vowed Cierra. "Diamond, I might not have shown it over the years, but I do love you."

Diamond waved her off. "Whatever," she muttered. She was not ready to forgive or trust her aunt yet. Maybe she never would. The scars and betrayal ran too deep. But if she could manage to stop drinking, maybe she could escape from her personal hell. Maybe Diamond could have even a small semblance of a normal life that she hasn't had since she was six.

She didn't know how wrong she was.

OoOoOo

Ash and Ricky quickly entered the Hall of Fame, the former more than a little frantic. "We are so late!" she complained. "RZ's gonna kill us!" Earlier that day, Ricky had the brilliant idea to engage Ash in a fight. A tickle fight to be exact.

 _Flashback_

 _Ash held the football, ready to throw it. "Go deep," she ordered Ricky, smirking._ _Ricky nodded and began to run. This was kind of new to him; his position was quarterback, not wide receiver or running back. Plus, that challenging look on Ash's face scared him yet also filled his head with dirty, hormone-induced thoughts that he would never reveal to her (or Diamond and the guys) because he'd rather not have his ass kicked._

 _Once he was far enough for her standards, Ash threw the ball with all her strength. Ricky knew she had an arm, but he had not expected to have the wind knocked out of him so abruptly. The powerful throw sent him to the ground as he landed on his back. Ash's face twisted into one of concern as she ran over to him. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, kneeling down next to him. "Ricky, are you okay? I'm so, so, so sorry, I don't know my own strength sometimes. Ugh, I'm so stupid!"_

 _Ricky looked into her beautiful emerald green eyes that he's always adored. It warmed him from head to toe that seemed to reflect her concern for him. "You're not stupid," said Ricky truthfully. "You're the smartest girl I know."_

 _Ash blushed lightly and looked down. The redhead gave him a cute, shy smile that went quite well with her adorable freckles and made his heart flutter. "I'm not that smart," she said modestly. "I just study and read a lot."_

 _Ricky grinned. "That explains your A+ in algebra," he teased. They both broke out into a fit of laughter. They were so busy that they didn't notice their NFL-Rs go off. Suddenly, their laughter dies down as they looked into each other's eyes. Ash's blush darkened and Ricky's face adopted a like pink hue. Then, a mischievous thought came to Ricky's head as he began to tickle Ash's sides._

 _Ash began to practically die of laughter as he assaulted her with tickles. "Ricky... stop..." she begged in between laughs._

 _"Only if you say that I'm the best quarterback you know."_

 _Ash continued to giggle loudly. "And... betray... my best... friend?" she asked playfully. "Never."_

 _Ricky smirked. "You asked for this, Reynolds," he mocked as he tickled her harder._

 _"You're... gonna... get it... Cervantes," Ash threatened, attempting to glare at him through her giggles. She gently but forcefully kicked him off of her, swiftly turning the tables. She began to tickle him just as fiercely._

 _Ricky couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter. "You're... a... cheater," he accused in between his own laughs._

 _"What goes around comes around," Ash teased as she continued. She then noticed something that made her freeze. "Uh-oh."_

 _"What's wrong?" asked Ricky in concern as he sat up._

 _"RZ called us in ten minutes ago!" the redhead exclaimed. "Come on, we have to get going!" She got up and pulled him off of the ground. Without a word or even a glance to each other, they both took off running towards the Hall of Knowledge._

"Ash, calm down," said Ricky soothingly. "RZ's not gonna blast you into oblivion for being fifteen minutes late."

Ash gave him a look, but said nothing. _How could I let him distract me like that? Am I really that in love with him? Well he is really cute and sweet and caring and- oh god, Diamond's right. I do have it bad._ Ash looked away from him, once again turning only a few shades lighter than her hair. Ricky smirked; it was way to easy-and fun-to rile her up like that. He knows he shouldn't, but he couldn't help his tendency to get a rise out of her. The teens quickly put up their NFL-Rs as identification before entering the Hall of Knowledge.

Troy raised a suspicious eyebrow upon seeing the two come in. "Where have you guys been?" he asked. Ash looked away while Ricky suddenly found the floor very interesting. Marty grinned goofily, gazing at the pair with a knowing look.

"Ash was helping me with my homework," Ricky lied. He turned to her. "Thanks again."

Ash quickly caught on. "Don't sweat it."

RZ cleared his throat, making the six Guardians look up at him. "Guardians, I've picked on some Anticorian activity near Gillette Stadium," he informed them. "I want the seven of you to investigate immediately."

"Seven?" Tua questioned. "I thought there were only six of us."

RZ smiled. "Guardians, meet your new teammate," he began. A girl entered the Hall of Knowledge. She had bright amethyst eyes and curly hair. They all recognized her immediately. "Diamond Sparks."


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm am so, so sorry that I didn't update yesterday guys! I meant to, but I never got the chance. I hope this makes up for it.**

OoOoOo

Diamond was shocked to say the least. Ish had called her earlier that day, telling her to meet him at the Pro Football Hall of Fame for some reason that he couldn't tell her over the phone. Being the naturally curious person she was, Diamond had obliged. She had made her way to the HOF where Ish and the guys, minus Ricky and Ash, (who knows what those to were doing?) were waiting for her. They left her in the care of Ish's mother, Shandra Taylor, while they "took care of something."

Diamond enjoyed talking with Mrs. Taylor. She was very much like her own mom, warm, caring, outgoing. She found it hard not to open up to her and the two soon began talking like they had known each other for ten years. Diamond couldn't help but wish that her aunt was more like Mrs. Taylor. Then, maybe, she wouldn't have had to suffer like she did.

Next thing she knew, Mrs. Taylor had led her to this "secret door" which actually turned into a secret passage once Mrs. Taylor held up a really cool watch to identify herself. The older woman smiled at her astonishment before leading her inside. Which brings us to...

"W-What is this place?!" asked Diamond.

The hologram head thing smiled down at her. "This is the Hall of Knowledge and I am RZ 6.0," he informed her. "Diamond Spark, you were born with something unique inside you. Something that you share with Ish, Ash, Troy, Tua, Marty, and Ricky. Diamond, you have shown that you can cope with anything life throws at you and that you're intellect is well above most people's. It's time that you joined these six as a Guardian.

"A Guardian?" repeated Diamond. She turned to her friends. "You mean those football themed heroes who protect the Megacores of each pro football team from villains like Sudden Death, Wild Card, and the Anticorians? That's _you_ guys? All six of you?"

Troy grinned. "Don't act so surprised, Beautiful," he flirted, earning a harsh glare from Ish.

Diamond shook her head and looked at RZ. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "You've made a mistake. There's no way I'm a Guardian."

Before RZ could say anything, Ash spoke up. "Di, what day were you born?" she asked.

Diamond didn't see the importance in her question. "February 3, 2002," she answered anyway. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"We all were born on that day," said Tua. "It was the day of Super Bowl XXXVI."

"Just a coincidence," Diamond insisted. "A lot of kids were born that day."

"But not a lot of them have a piece of the Core inside them," RZ said. "Diamond, there is no mistake. You as well as these six were born with the Core inside you when the Shards from each team were united temporarily."

"I still don't think I can believe this," said Diamond. She held her arm out. "Red, pinch me."

"What?" asked Ash, slightly shocked by the request.

"Just do it," ordered Diamond. "Ouch. Darn, this isn't a dream." Diamond shook her head again. "But I don't think I can do this."

"The choice is yours to make," promised RZ. "We won't force you to do something you don't want to."

Ish, sensing her hesitance, bravely took hold of her hand. "You can do this," he insisted. "I believe in you."

Ash beamed at the adorable sight and quickly high fived Ricky and Marty before placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I do too," she agreed. "Di, I promise you'll do great."

"Well, if Red and Taylor think I can do it," said Diamond thoughtfully. "I guess I can give it a go." Ash's smile grew wider as she embraced her tightly. Ish handed her a high tech watch that matched the one they all wore. Diamond put in on and admired it. "Cool!"

"Yes it is," agreed Ricky.

"Ish, Ash, Troy, and Ricky, I'm sending you to Massachusetts," ordered RZ. "Diamond, you will be trained by Marty and Tua to use your powers."

"Come on guys, let's do this!" exclaimed Ish.

The others nodded. '"ENTER THE RUSH ZONE!" they chanted together, pressing a button on their NFL-Rs. Diamond practically had stars in her eyes as they transformed into the heroes she's seen on the news. The fours Guardians took the Patriots passage to Gillette Stadium, New England. Diamond raised an eyebrow as they left, but said nothing. _I wonder what my suit will look like,_ she pondered. She enjoyed watching football, but she wasn't a big player. Nor did she have a particular favorite team.

Marty smiled. "Okay, newbie," he said excitedly. "Let's start!"

Diamond face palmed. "What have I gotten myself into?" she asked herself. But she couldn't hide her smile. Despite being the goofball he was, Marty was endearing and fun to be around. "Oh, well. No turning back now. I'm ready."

OoOoOo

"What do you think the Anticorians are up to this time?" asked Troy.

"I have no idea," admitted Ish. "But whatever they're up to, we have to stop them."

"Try all you want, Guardians," a sly voice taunted. "but you will never stop us."

Ash clenched her teeth in anger, recognizing the voice immediately. "Where are you, Stellaria?" she demanded hotly. "Come out and face us!" The other three watched her with caution. It was no secret that Ash largely disliked the female Anticorian and vice versa.

Ricky gripped her shoulder tightly, keeping her in place. "Ash, calm down," he tried, knowing exactly what Stellaria was doing. "She wants to rile you up." Ash nodded in response and took a deep breath as her anger gradually went down.

Stellaria emerged from her hiding place in the shadows. "You should not have held her back, Guardian," she snarled at Ricky. "I've been waiting for an opportunity to face her one on one. She's obviously my only real competition compared to the rest of you." She chuckled. "Though, you all set the expectations pretty low."

Ash held her NFL-R up, ready to blast Stellaria into next year. "That's enough," she growled. The three boys took a step back from her. An irate Ash is not a pleasant one. "Why are you here?"

"Why else?" asked Stellaria. "I'm here to steal the Patriots' Megacore, and you can't do a thing to stop me!" She sent eight Blitz Borgs at the Guardians before running off.

"Great, two to one," mumbled Troy as he began to run. "Light speed!" He tied up his robotic opponents before crushing them.

"I am so _not_ in the mood for this," growled Ash as she jumped up. "Super stomp!" The Blitz Borgs were sent tumbling to the ground. "Super kick!" They were broken into tiny pieces.

"Ice blast power pass!" Ricky yelled as he turned his opponents into ice. He walked over to them and tapped on the ice, watching as they shattered. " _Ice_ to know you."

"Great job, Guardians," praised Ish. "Now it's my turn." He held his hands out. "Super heat, engage!" Heat came out of his palms and destroyed the Blitz Borgs. "Now, let's go catch up to Stellaria." The Guardians followed their leader down the hall only to find Stellaria with an army of Blitz Borgs waiting for them.

"There must be about fifty Blitz Borgs here!" exclaimed Troy in alarm.

"RZ, do you read?!" asked Ish. "We need back up!"

OoOoOo

"I just received a transmission from Ish," RZ informed the two Guardians and Guardian-in-training. "Stellaria and an army of Blitz Borgs are attacking them."

"We'll go to Foxboro and help them," Tua volunteered. Marty nodded beside him.

"Wait!" exclaimed Diamond. "I want to help them too!"

"Diamond, you must understand that you are not a full Guardian yet," said RZ. "You still need more training."

"Half is better than none, sir," Diamond retorted. "How will I ever earn my shield coin if I never have the chance to prove I deserve it?"

"She _has_ done very well in training so far," Marty pointed out. "And we need all the help we can get."

"Very well," RZ permitted. "But head caution, all three of you. We don't know what the Anticorians are planning."

"You got it, RZ," promised Tua. "Let's do this guys."

Marty and Diamond nodded as they stood next to him. "ENTER THE RUSH ZONE!" they chanted. Marty and Tua's usual suits appeared on them. Diamond's was very similar to Ash's, only instead of gray she had purple and where Ash had red, she had light blue. The three bid RZ farewell before taking the passage to Massachusetts to rescue their friends.

OoOoOo

 **So, how was it? I know that the Guardians probably don't share the same birthday, but they do in this story, okay? Anyway, please review and I'll see you next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**As you can see, I have no better way to spend my time. So, let's do this. Also, I know that the Rusherz (yes, that's how it's spelled) have names, but I can't find them. Also, an Patriots player makes an appearance and I apologize if you hate him.**

OoOoOo

Tua, Marty, and Diamond arrived at Gillette Stadium through the passage. "Guardians!" someone exclaimed as a figure came rushing towards them. All three of them recognized him as the Patriots' Rusher. "I'm glad your here!" He peered at Diamond curiously. "We have a new one?"

Marty nodded. "Yup," he confirmed happily. "Rusher, this is Diamond; our newest Guardian."

Diamond waved. "It's an honor," she said politely.

"I wish it were under different circumstances," said the Rusher. "Stellaria just showed up with an army of Blitz Borgs near the Megacore vault! Ish, Ash, Troy, and Ricky can't hold them off forever. I'll stay here and look out for Angkoro and Zich."

Tua nodded. "Lets get going then," he ordered the two next to him. Diamond and Marty nodded in agreement before following him down the hall. Everything was quiet, way too quiet. The three stopped as they found themselves in a dilemma; there were three different hallways to go down. But they had to find the others and protect the Megacore. "We're gonna have to split up. The others aren't responding to their NFL-Rs."

"Split up?!" exclaimed Marty in alarm. "Are you crazy?! You never split up in a horror movie!"

"This isn't a horror movie," Tua reminded him.

Marty grabbed Diamond's arm. "I'm going with Diamond!" he called. "She might need me."

Diamond pinched his hand lightly. Not hard enough to hurt him, but hard enough to make him let go of her. "What if the one you were supposed to go down is where the others are?" she asked. "I agree with Tua, it's better if we split up."

Marty sighed in defeat. "Fine."

OoOoOo

Diamond walked down the dark hallway slowly. "I hope we find Ish and the others soon," she said to herself. "I'm getting worried."

"Well, well, well," a sly female voice called out. From the shadows stepped a woman with short black hair and green and bronze armor. Her face was covered by a mask. "What do we have here? Another Guardian? And she's all alone too."

"Who are you?" Diamond demanded, getting ready to fight.

"I am Stellaria," the woman introduced herself. "But you needn't worry about my name. You are not along for this world."

Diamond clenched her fists in anger at the threat. Ash had told her about this one; she was cunning and stealthy, and probably the most dangerous of the three aliens. "We'll see about that, you witch!" she yelled. The African American teen began to blast the Anticorian rapidly.

Stellaria chuckled as she diligently moved out of the way, avoiding every single blast. "Defeating you will be mere child's play for me," she mocked. Suddenly, a gust of wind began to descend from the woman and towards Diamond.

Deciding to take a chance, Diamond put up her NFL-R. "Defense, engage!" she exclaimed. Luckily, her shield stopped any impact, but she was still thrown up into the air. She landed on the ground with a thud and groaned in pain. _Well, that could have gone better._ To make things worse, she de-transformed. _Shit._ _Can this fight go any worse?_

Stellaria laughed evilly, advancing towards the fallen girl. "What's wrong, new Guardian? Can't handle a little wind?"

Diamond pushed herself off the ground. "Tua, Marty," she said quietly into her NFL-R. "I found Stellaria and my time just ran out. I don't know how much longer I can take her."

"I'm fighting Zich as well," said Tua with a grunt.

"I think they were expecting us," Marty predicted nervously. "Cause I'm dealing with Angkoro over here!"

"Try to keep her talking," Tua advised.

"Alright. Be careful guys."

"Always!" promised Marty.

 _This fight would be a lot easier if I had my Shield Coin,_ thought Diamond as she resumed her battle with Stellaria. "So, got so tired of getting your ass handed to you by PK2 that you had to pick on the new girl?" she taunted. "That's kind of sad."

"Shut your mouth, insolent wench," Stellaria hissed, her anger rising.

Diamond smirked; it was working. "I bet that's why you're here," she continued, dodging a couple of blasts. "PK2 probably kicked your ass so bad that you had to use that little disappearing act of yours just to avoid capture. And now you're taking your anger out on me." Diamond looked around and spotted a reflective surface. _That'll work._ She moved in front of it.

Stellaria lost her temper. "That does it!" she shouted in anger, sending a strong blast at her. Seeing this, Diamond quickly threw herself to the ground. Stellaria's blast quickly bounced off of the surface and back onto her. The Anticorian screamed out in pain, something flew out of her belt.

"The Pats' Magacore!" exclaimed Diamond. She leapt forwards and caught it in her hands. "I got it!"

Stellaria glared viciously at her. "You will pay for this," she swore before teleporting away.

"I found Troy and Ish," said Tua on her NFL-R.

"And I found Ash and Ricky," Marty added. "I kind of wish I hadn't, though."

"Shut up, Marty," muttered Ash and Ricky.

Diamond snickered, knowing exactly what her friends had been up to. _You go, Ash!_ "Well, I found the Pats' Megacore," she said proudly.

"Really?" asked Ish. "Well done, Di!"

Diamond blushed. "One problem though, my Guardian mode time ran out," she revealed. "and if someone sees me with the Megacore..."

"Right," Ash agreed. "Ish will go meet you."

Diamond nodded and slouched down against the wall, waiting for her teammate. She was more than a little tired from her fight. Suddenly, she hissed in pain. "Ouch," she groaned, looking at her side. One of Stellaria's blasts must have caught her on the side. It wasn't too bad, but it still stung. Soon, Ish showed up. "Hey Taylor," Diamond said weakly. "Looking for this?" she threw the Megacore to him.

Ish caught it. "Nice work," he praised. His eyes fell onto her side and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "What happened?"

Diamond shrugged it off. "Eh, one of Stellaria's blasts caught me," she said nonchalantly.

Suddenly, a man with a Patriots' uniform came from around the corner. "Is everything okay, here?" he asked, concerned.

"You're..." began Diamond.

"Tom Brady!" finished Ish loudly. He cleared his throat. "Yes, Mr. Brady, everything's fine. Just finished dealing with the Anticorians." He turned to Diamond. "Are you okay, Miss?"

Diamond raised an eyebrow, but caught on. "Oh yes!" she exclaimed, locking her fingers together. "Thank you so much for saving me from those aliens, Guardian!"

Ish resisted the urge to laugh; she was a really good actor. "All in a day's work, Miss," he said modestly. He handed the quarterback the Megacore. "Here, get this back where it belongs."

Tom looked relieved as he took the Megacore. "It's a good thing we have you Guardians around," he stated. "Who knows what could have happened today if it weren't for you." He ran off.

"Yeah," agreed Ish, looking at Diamond. "Who knows what would have happened?"

OoOoOo

"Excellent work, Guardians," RZ praised as soon as they returned from Foxboro. "You successfully stopped Angkoro, Zich, and Stellaria and retrieved the Patriots' Megacore."

Ash put an arm around her female friend. "It was all thanks to Diamond!" she exclaimed happily. "RZ, she stopped Stellaria and got the Megacore back! Without her, the Patriots wouldn't have been able to win the Super Bowl this year!"

Diamond blushed. "It was nothing, really," she admitted. "Stellaria may be cunning, sly, and powerful, but her weakness is her anger. If you can get her mad enough, she'll lose focus. After that, it's all just strategy."

Ricky grinned. "Now way are the Pats gonna even get there this year," he teased his redheaded friend. "I say Cardinals are gonna take it!"

"And I say you're crazy," Troy retorted. "The Cardinals have only made it to the Super Bowl _once_. If anything, the _Saints_ are winning this year!"

"No way! The Browns will totally win the Super Bowl!"

"The Bears got it this year!"

"Chargers got it for sure!"

RZ cleared his throat, grabbing everyone's attention. "Yes, because of Diamond's quick thinking and perseverance, she was able to defeat Stellaria and retrieve the Patriots' Megacore," he said. "And for that, I would like to award Diamond her Shield Coin." A tiny metal coin with the NFL symbol on it descended down from RZ and landed onto Diamond's hand. "You are now a full Guardian."

Diamond took the coin and placed it on her NFL-R. "I won't let you down, sir," she promised.

OoOoOo

"How could you have been beaten?!" Angkoro demanded. "By a _new_ Guardian no less!" Zich grunted in agreement.

Stellaria glared at them. "Silence you two. I merely underestimated her intelligence," she said. He eyes narrowed dangerously. "Make no mistake dear Angkoro, I will destroy her and the little red haired girl. They will both pay early for their insolence."

"You need to get over your foolish vendetta," ordered Angkoro. "In time we will destroy all the Guardians, but right now the Megacores from each team are our first priority."

"You are not my leader," hissed Stellaria. "Do not think you can order me around."

Zich grunted and rolled his eyes as his teammates continued to bicker. The attraction between them was so strong that you could practically see it. Back on Anticoria, the two weren't much better than they were now. But the two were so stubborn that they would never get together. Oh well, it didn't really matter to him anyway. As long as they didn't allow their petty squabbles to get in the way of the mission.

OoOoOo

 **Okay, am I the only one who ships Angkoro and Stellaria? Just me? Okay then. I'll go sit in a corner and cry my eyes out now.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's another chapter for my lovely readers! Please enjoy!**

OoOoOo

"Red, you sure you know what you're doing?" Diamond asked as Ash did her hair. She had gotten it straightened at a nearby salon earlier that day and her friend was adding the final touches herself. They had both agreed on no makeup because it was only a simple eighth grade dance and neither one of them had any desire to go over the top.

"Of course I do," insisted Ash with a grin. "Trust me, Ish will just about faint when he sees you."

"If you're sure..." Diamond trialed off, uncertainty evident in her voice. "Do what you want, Red." She smirked evilly. "But after this, it's your turn."

Ash laughed. "That's only fair," she agreed. She added the finishing touches to her friend's hair. "And we're done!"

Diamond looked in the mirror to admire her hair. Ash had left the top half alone, leaving it pin-straight. The bottom half, however, was curled into large, nearly perfect ringlets that cascaded down her back like a waterfall. "Wow, Red!" she praised. "This looks really good! Who knew you could do hair so well?" She gently touched one, not believing that this was actually her hair. "Thanks!"

Ash beamed, pleased with her work. "No problem!" she said. "Now, do me!"

Diamond laughed, but got to work right away. "Red, stop moving," she ordered after about five minutes. "I won't be able to get this right if your head isn't straight." Ash obliged, trying her hardest to keep her head still. "There! All done!"

Ash looked in the mirror and didn't even try to hide her awe. Half of her hair was up and the other half down her back. Her red locks were curled to perfection and she couldn't remember a time in her life when her hair had looked better. "Oh my god..." she whispered. Suddenly, Diamond was tackled in a tight embrace. "Diamond, you're the best!" She swore that if Ish let this girl get away, she was going to beat him with a stick. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Careful, Red," warned Diamond with a chuckle. "You might mess up your hair." She handed Ash her dress and took her own. "Let's get changed, Ricky and Ish will be here soon." Ash nodded and the girls began to change into their dresses.

OoOoOo

Linda Reynolds answered the door, revealing her stepdaughter's best friend Ish and date Ricky. They were both wearing nice button up shirts (Cardinal red for Ricky and Charger blue for Ish) and khakis. "Hello, boys," she greeted. "Ash and Diamond will be down soon. Please, come in."

"Thanks Mrs. Reynolds," said Ricky politely. He looked around nervously. "Is, um, Mr. Reynolds home?"

Linda laughed at the poor boy's expression. "No, he's out of town on business," she answered. She walked over to the stairs. "Ash, Diamond, Ricky and Ish are here!"

"Thanks Linda!" came Ash's response. "We're almost done!"

A few minutes later, Ash descended down the stairs. She wore a forest green dress that went well with her eyes and came to her knees. The dress left her arms and shoulders bare. On her feet were white flats that complimented the green nicely. The redhead smiled brilliantly. "Hi guys!" she exclaimed happily. "You both look really nice!" She noticed Ricky staring at her, unblinking. "Ricky? You in there?"

Ish laughed. "Ash, I think you broke him," he joked. He lightly swatted Ricky on the head. "Dude, you're staring."

Ricky shook his head and blushed. "Y-You look amazing," he said honestly.

Ash's face nearly matched her hair as she smiled. "Thanks." She then grinned goofily as she saw Diamond gracefully make her way down the stairs. She was wearing a deep purple dress that matched her eyes and stopped just above her knees. It was accented with silver on her shoulders and around her waist. Like Ash, she was wearing flats, only they were black. They had both agreed on flats because they were dressy, yet comfortable at the same time.

Ricky smirked at Ish's expression and nudged him in the stomach with his elbow. "Who's staring now?" he teased playfully.

Ish snapped out of his daze and blushed. "I, um, er," he stuttered. "You look beautiful Diamond."

Diamond smiled as her cheeks turned a light pink. "Thanks Taylor," she said. "We should probably get going, the others are waiting for us." They all gave her a funny look. "Okay, everyone except Marty will be waiting for us. Let's just go."

"Have fun!" Linda called as the four teenagers left the house. "Shoot, I forgot to take pictures." She shrugged. "Oh well, there's always prom."

OoOoOo

When the four arrived at the dance, they were slightly impressed with how it all came together (considering it was being held in the gym). They immediately caught Marty's blond hair and walked over to him. He was dancing with a girl shorter than Ash with black hair tied in pigtails and light hazel eyes dressed in a teal dress. "Hey dudes," he greeted happily. "This is Kira, my date." The girl waved at them.

"Troy's sister?" asked Ricky. "Does he know about this?"

Kira laughed. "I think it's fair," she said. "After all, my brother took Marty's cousin."

"You have a cousin?" Ash inquired.

Marty nodded. "Yeah," he answered. "Her name is Brittany and she's a royal pain."

"I heard that, doofus," a voice said from behind Marty. It was a girl a few inches shorter than Diamond with long blond hair and blue eyes just like Marty. She was dressed in a pink dress. "For the record, if I'm a pain, you're a stab in the side."

Troy grinned from next to her. "She's not wrong, buddy," he agreed.

Diamond rolled her eyes. "He's such a suck up," she whispered to Ash. The redhead nodded her head in agreement, trying her best not to giggle. "Where's Tiny?"

"On patrol at Soldier Field," Ish answered quietly. "He didn't want to come to the dance, so he volunteered."

OoOoOo

"Everything looks good here, RZ," Tua spoke into his NFL-R. "No Anticorians in sight."

Stellaria emerged from out of the shadows. "Guess again, Guardian!" she yelled. She threw a blast of wind at him, sending him off the edge of the roof.

"Flight App, engage!" Tua exclaimed. The app activated just before Tua could hit the ground. "Well, that was lucky." He contacted the Hall of Knowledge. "RZ, Stellaria is attacking! I need back up!"

"I will send for the other Guardians immediately," RZ responded.

OoOoOo

"Guardians, Soldier Field is under attack," RZ informed the remaining six at the dance. "I need you all at the Hall of Knowledge immediately."

"You got it, RZ," said Ish. He looked to his teammates. "Sorry guys, duty calls. We're needed at the HOK."

"Let's go," Diamond ordered the team.

"Sorry, Beautiful," Troy apologized to Brittany. "I work part time at the Hall of Fame."

Brittany scoffed. "Whatever."

"You too, Marty?" asked Kira sadly.

Marty rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah," he confessed. "Sorry. I'll make it up to you somehow."

"Guys," urged Ash. She felt bad that they had to leave their dates, but they still had a job to do.

"We're coming," Troy grumbled as he and Marty followed the others out of the gym.

OoOoOo

"What's the situation, RZ?" asked Diamond upon entering the Hall of Knowledge.

"Stellaria attacked Tua in Chicago," RZ told them. "He won't be able to hold her off forever."

"Then let's go," ordered Ish.

The others nodded and stood with him. "ENTER THE RUSH ZONE!" they chanted. They transformed into their suits and took the passage to Soldier Field, Chicago, home of the Bears.

OoOoOo

 **Well, I hope you liked it. But you know what I just realized? In season three, Jackson basically saved the whole freaking world while the Guardians were captured! Why the hell is he not a Guardian?! The Guardians didn't do crap (jk)! Anyway, if you're wondering about the dresses:**

 **Diamond's Dress:** **Ash's Dress:**


	8. Chapter 8

**Well, here you go!**

OoOoOo

"Tua!" called Ish as he and the others arrived in Chicago. "Tiny, are you here?"

"Guys!" came Tua's response. "Down here! Hurry! "The others quickly ran in the direction of his voice. There, they found Tua being held up in the air by Angkoro's telekinesis and Stellaria attempting to break through the Megacore vault.

"Hey, Stellaria!" yelled Ash as she and Diamond rushed over to the female Anticorian. "You're trespassing! Super Kick!" Ash's usual attack made its way towards Stellaria.

"Authorized personnel only!" Diamond added. "No Anticorians allowed! Lightning Strike!" A wave electricity merged with Ash's attack, making it stronger. The combined assault threw Stellaria up high into the air while also sending a strong jolt of electric energy through her. The sly alien started to fall and landed on the ground with a thud.

"We can combine moves?" asked the two girls at the same time.

"Apparently," said Ricky.

"Cool!" Troy commented.

"Sweet!" exclaimed Marty. "How come we've never tried this before? That's awesome!"

"Probably because you, Tua, and Troy's attacks are more like power ups. But that does give me an idea," said Ish. "Ricky, we should try to combine my Super Heat with your Super Freeze!"

"I'm pretty sure the laws of physics won't allow that," Ricky deadpanned. "but why not? Put him down, Angkoro! Super Freeze!" At the same time, Ish yelled, "Super Heat, engage!" The combined attacks made a sort of powerful steam wave that was able to knock Angkoro off his feet an down to the ground. With his concentration broken, Angkoro was forced to release Tua from his hold.

"Angkoro, let us leave these weaklings!" urged Stellaria, getting up. "Zich has completed his part of the mission! We're done here! Enjoy your victory while you can, Guardians." Both Anticorians teleported away, leaving seven very baffled Guardians.

"Did we just...win?" questioned Troy. Something was wrong; Stellaria and Angkoro hadn't even been trying.

Diamond was immediately suspicious. "RZ?" she asked into her NFL-R. "Were any other Megacores attacked today?"

"Negative," answered RZ. "Everything has been quiet lately."

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Ash nervously.

"So do I," agreed Diamond. Zich had obviously been up to something while his comrades were here. But the question was; what was it?

"Let's head back to the HOK," suggested Ish.

OoOoOo

"Guardians, there was absolutely no Anticorian activity anywhere but Chicago," RZ assured them. "All of you may go home and rest tonight."

"Something about this just doesn't feel right," said Diamond as they left. Unknowingly, she had voiced all of their thoughts. There was definitely something more going on with the Anticorians. "They're up to something, I can feel it."

"It's late," Ish pointed out, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Try not to worry about it too much, we'll figure it out in the morning." Diamond reluctantly nodded as the seven Guardians went their separate ways.

"Aunt Cierra, I'm home!" called Diamond as she entered the small house. "Aunt C? If you're knocked out on the couch with a half empty bottle of booze again, I swear-!" She stopped short when she saw the living room completely empty. "Aunt C, this isn't funny!" _Relax Sparks. She probably just went to bed early. Yeah, that's it._ She practically flew up the stairs and into her aunt's room, only to find it as empty as the living room.

"This... this isn't happening!" Diamond insisted. "She, she just went to the store! Yeah! In the middle of the night. Without telling me." She groaned and put her head in her hands. "I don't understand. How could this have happened?" Her despair soon turned into anger. She knew _exactly_ how this happened. Zich must have kidnapped her aunt while Angkoro and Stellaria kept her and the rest of the Guardians busy. But how did they get into the Safe Zone? "Ash, do you read? My aunt's gone!"

"Linda is too!" Ash responded, panic evident in her voice. "I came in the house and found my baby sister alone and crying! My dad's going to be home any minute!"

"I can't find my mom either!" exclaimed Marty frantically.

"Guardians, please return to the HOK," ordered RZ.

OoOoOo

"RZ, what is going on?!" demanded Ricky upon entering. "All of our moms are gone!"

"While you were fighting Stellaria and Angkoro, Zich must have somehow gotten into the Safe Zone and kidnapped all of your female guardians," speculated the artificial intelligence. "The two must have been sent to distract you from the real targets."

"Obviously," scoffed Diamond angrily. She and her aunt might not have been on the best terms, but they were still family. She was all Diamond had left in the world. The Anticorians would pay for taking her. All eyes turned to the purple eyed teen. "Sorry, RZ. But how are we gonna get them back?"

"It is understandable, Diamond," said RZ sympathetically. "Luckily, Ish's mother Shandra Taylor was able to activate her GPS locator. With any luck, the rest of your mothers will be with her." A holographic map of the United States with a red dot on the smallest state appeared in front of them.

"Providence, Rhode Island?" questioned Ish. "Why would they take our moms there?"

"Maybe that's where the Anticorians are hiding out," suggested Tua. "There aren't any NFL teams located there, so maybe they thought they could stay under the radar."

"Sounds like a trap to me," said Troy.

"The probability is extremely likely," agreed RZ. "But you must take that chance. Take the passage to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, then use your Flight Apps from there to get to Providence."

"We'll get them back," Ish promise his team. "Count on it. Ready, guys?"

The Guardians nodded. "ENTER THE RUSH ZONE!" they chanted. They transformed in a flash of light into their Guardian suits and took the Patriots' passage.

OoOoOo

 **Well, how was it? I know it was short, but that's two updates in one day! Anyway, please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I am so, SO sorry about my lack of updates! Wow, has it really been a whole month?! Jeez... Anyway, please enjoy!**

OoOoOo

As she and the other Guardians flew through the cold air, Diamond couldn't help but grit her teeth in anger. How dare those alien freaks take her aunt. Their relationship may be rocky to say the least, but that was still her aunt. _Nobody_ messed with her family. "Where do you think they are?" she asked as they touched down onto the ground.

Troy looked around. "When in doubt, always check the abandoned factory," he suggested, pointing at one. Diamond rolled her eyes as she and everyone else followed the boy inside. It was dark and quiet. The sound of their footsteps echoed off the walls. There was a ominous feeling in the air, like something bad was going to happen. Suddenly, everyone heard Ash cry out in pain before her screams became muffled.

"ASH!" shouted Ricky in alarm. "What happened!? Are you-?!" He didn't finish his sentence.

"Guys, this is insane," said Marty. "Maybe we should-" Silence.

"This is crazy!" exclaimed Troy fearfully. "We need to-!" Nothing more from him either.

"What's going on?" asked Tua. "What's happening to them? Guys? Are you alri-?"

Diamond began to hyperventilate, her heart racing. "Ish, please tell me that you're still here," she begged.

Ish grabbed her hand, keeping her from wondering too far away from him. "I'm here, Di," he assured her, turning on his Super Sight. "I won't leave you. Hold onto my hand so that we're not separated."

Diamond nodded and curled her fingers around his palm. She took a deep breath, calming herself. "Guardians, this is Diamond. Are you all okay? What happened to you?"

"I'm fine, Di," promised Ash over their communication link. "I think the ground opened up from under me. I'm with Ricky."

"Something strange is definitely going on here," stated Troy. "I got put with Marty. Tiny, you good?"

"I'm okay," answered Tua. "The Anticorians must be trying to separate us."

"I think so too," agreed Ish. "Tua, be careful. They rest of you, stay close together." Unconsciously, his hand tightened around Diamond's as he pulled her body closer to his. He noticed that she was shaking slightly and caressed the back of her hand with his thumb.

Diamond noticed this, but decided not to say anything about it. "Where do you think the Anticorians took them?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Ish answered honestly. "But we'll find them."

Diamond nodded and moved closer to him, finding his presence comforting. "I know we will. You're here. Everything will be alright as long as we have you to lead us," she said honestly, blushing behind her helmet. Ish was touched by her confidence in him. He was about to say something when his Super Sight noticed some rocks about to fall on top of them. Acting quickly, he wrapped his arms around the girl next to him, pulling her out of the way.

Diamond was entangled in his arms as they both landed hard on the cement floor, breathing heavily. "Are you okay?" Ish asked.

Diamond nodded. "Y-Yeah," she stuttered. "I'm fine. You?"

Ish groaned. "Never better." He released her and stood up, offering her a hand. She took it and stood next to him, still breathing hard. Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to cry in front of the boy she (might?) like. "I hope the others are having better luck than us."

OoOoOo

"Oh, I hope they're okay," said Ash as she and Ricky walked around aimlessly. "Whenever we're separated like this, something bad always happens to at least one of us."

Ricky gently took her hand in his. "I'm sure they're fine, chica," he assured her. "Don't worry. We'll all be fine."

Ash nodded when suddenly a tentacle wrapped itself around her other arm. "Ew! What is this?!" she exclaimed in alarm. It began to pull her in an opposite direction. Ricky's grip on her hand tightened as he used his other hand to grab her arm, pulling her towards him. He felt his hand slip as two more tentacles wrapped itself around both of her legs.

Ricky was forced to let go of her. He took a deep breath, focusing. _I can do this._ "Ice Blast Power Pass!" he shouted, freezing each tentacle.

Ash was able to break free of each tentacle. "Thanks," she said as she stood up, rubbing her wrist. "Okay, that was gross."

"Are you alright?" asked Ricky.

Ash nodded. "I'm okay. How do you think everyone else is doing in this..."

"House of Horrors?" guessed Ricky.

Ash giggled. "Yeah." She frowned. "Ricky, we have to get through this. Linda, Mrs. Taylor, every woman in there is in danger. They're counting on us to save them!"

OoOoOo

 **I know that was short, but I have writer's block! Please review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Please enjoy.**

OoOoOo

"Ugh!" exclaimed Diamond, frustrated. She tightened her grip on Ish's hand. "This is pointless! We're going around in circles!" They had been wandering around for what seemed like hours. It was pitch black and their NFL-Rs were running out of power, making it harder for Ish to direct them. "At this rate, we'll never find the others or our families."

Ish smirked. "Diamond, I know that you're scared, but please try to calm down," he teased her in an effort to ease her nerves.

Diamond glared at him. "I am _not_ scared," she insisted. She sighed. "Just worried. How are we going to get out of this one, Taylor?" She grew frantic. "I got my Shield Coin because of dumb luck. What if I'm not as lucky this time?" Why did she agree to this again? Being a Guardian is stressful. "How are we going to save ourselves, let alone our respective family members?" She was worried, tired, and starting to feel sick.

"Diamond?"

"My aunt could die thinking I hate her!" Diamond exclaimed as if she hadn't heard him.

"Diamond."

Diamond blushed under her helmet. "And I don't!" she confessed. "I dislike her, but I don't completely hate her!"

"Diamond!" Ish shouted as he grabbed her shoulders, finally gaining her attention. "You need to calm down. You're not doing either of us any good by freaking out. Just breathe. If we don't believe we can get through this then we don't stand a chance."

Diamond did as he said, breathing in deeply. "You're right," she admitted. "I'll stop. I just have-"

"Anxiety?" guessed Ish, to which she nodded. There was a slightly awkward silence between them for a moment. "We should contact the others and make sure they're alright."

Diamond nodded. "Good idea," she agreed. "Ash, can you hear me? Are you and Ricky alright?"

"We're fine," responded Ash. "But I feel like we're getting nowhere. How about you guys?"

"Nothing on our end either," Diamond answered. "Let me check in with the guys." She paused. "That's weird. I can't get through."

"Really?" asked Ash, confused. "Let me try." Another pause. "She's right. I can't get into contact with them." She inhaled deeply. "We can only assume that they've been captured. This is bad."

Diamond groaned. "This is getting ridiculous," she complained. "We're wandering around aimlessly while our friends and family are who knows where!" She turned to Ish. "We have to find Ricky and Ash. They could be next!"

Ish nodded. "Let's go."

OoOoOo

Diamond was about to hurl when they stopped an hour later. "We keep ending up in the same place no matter how many doors we go through!" she shouted in frustration. "Everyone's probably dead by now and on top of that, I haven't felt this sick since-" That's when realization dawned on her. She hadn't this sick since her parents had taken her to a local fair when she was little. She had gone on the Teacups with her mother and had promptly vomited on the ground. Not one of her best moments. "That's it."

"Diamond?" Ish questioned in confusion.

"That's why we keep coming back to this room," Diamond elaborated. "That's why I'm getting sick! The chambers are spinning us around until we end up in this spot! It's just like the Teacups ride you'd see at a carnival or fair!" Using the strength her suit gave her, she kicked through the wall, revealing Ash and Ricky. "Guys! Oh, why didn't I try that before!?" Without waiting for a response, she punched through the floor, hopping down to a platform beneath it. The other three touched down next to her. There were visible rooms above them, spinning around at a rapid pace.

"This is incredible!" exclaimed Ash in fascination. "Each chamber is is spinning us around and around until we ended up back at the same place! It's just like the Teacups ride you'd see at a carnival or fair!"

"Diamond already figured that out," Ish told her.

Ash blushed under her helmet. "Oh."

"I only knew that because I have motion sickness," Diamond added hastily. Ash was way smarter than she was and she didn't want the guys to think otherwise. "I bet you that the others aren't even up there. They're probably somewhere down there."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Ricky. "Let's go find them!"

OoOoOo

"Guys!" shouted Ash as they approached. Marty, Tua, and Troy were there along with Diamond's aunt, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs. Kang, Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Cervantes, and Mrs. Tupola. They were tied up, but appeared unharmed. The four of them each gave an audible sigh of relief. They had arrived in time to stop any real damage from being done.

Diamond had never been so happy to see the woman who had "raised" her. "Aunt Cier-!" She stopped short. _Shit._ "I mean, uh..."

Cierra raised an eyebrow at her. "Diamond?" she asked. "Is that you?"

 _Double shit._

OoOoOo

"You're a Guardian!?" Cierra demanded when they had gotten home. "When the hell did this happen!?" She shook her head. "No, no, no! I don't like this at all! Your mother would turn over in her grave if she knew I allowed you to do this! This can _not_ go on! Do you understand? This is not okay! You could end up seriously hurt! Or worse, dead!"

Diamond glared harshly at her. "Up until a few weeks ago, you didn't give a fuck abut my safety," she snapped icily.

"Diamond, please-"

"Don't 'Diamond, please' me!" Diamond interrupted. "I like being a Guardian! I finally found something I'm good at! And even better, I finally found friends! I'm not giving this up for the world! And if you don't like that, tough." Her NFL-R beeped. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go do my job." And with that, the girl walked out of the house, ignoring her aunt's desperate pleas for her to come back.

OoOoOo

Diamond entered the HOK, slightly ticked off. "What's up, RZ?" she asked.

"Guardians, I'm afraid that kidnapping your mothers was only a distraction from the Anticorians' real goal," said RZ solemnly. "While you were away, they took both the Dolphins' and Seahawks' Megacores."

"RZ, what are we going to do?" asked Ash. "No matter what we do, they're always a step ahead of us. We'll keep going around in circles forever if we don't catch them."

"Agreed," said RZ. "That is why I am remotely updating your NFL-Rs. Now you'll each be able to summon your ancient weapons at will."

Marty's eyes lit up. "Yes!" he shouted. "I get to use my bow and arrow again!"

Diamond was thoroughly confused. "Did I miss something?"

"I'll fill you in later," Ish promised. "RZ, what about Diamond? She wasn't with us that time."

RZ smiled. "We'll just have to see what Diamond's weapon is," he answered. "You all can go home and rest for now, but be ready to jump into action at a moment's notice."

OoOoOo

As Diamond was walking home, Ish managed to catch up with her. "Hey, Di!" he shouted.

Diamond turned to him. "Oh, hey Taylor," she greeted. "What's up?"

Ish blushed. "I just wanted to say good job with that crazy teacup death chamber thing," he admitted sheepishly.

Diamond blushed as well. "It was nothing," she replied modestly. "I just-!" Ish's lips were suddenly on hers. It was only a quick peck that lasted for a second, but it was enough to make her blush deepen.

Ish pulled away, a silly grin on his face. "See you tomorrow," he said before he was off to his own house.

Diamond's cheeks were a rosy red as she glared at his retreating form. "Stupid Taylor," she muttered, shaking her head. Yet, she could not stop a similar grin from adorning her face as she made her way to her house.

OoOoOo

 **So, how was that? Good? Bad? Please tell me! Also, kudos to anyone who knows where I got the Teacups reference!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Guess who's back? Back again? Ha! It's me! Please enjoy this chapter!**

OoOoOo

"Stupid Taylor," muttered Diamond, burying her flushed face in her pillow. God, why did he have to kiss her? Even now, a week later, her heart would not stop pounding in her chest. She rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. Her newfound (okay, maybe not _that_ new) confused her. She had sworn to never let someone into her heart. The last time she had, she had ended up getting hurt in the end.

It wasn't just Ish either. Diamond never thought she could trust someone as much as she did Ash. These people, they were breaking down her walls without even trying. It wasn't as if she was trying all that hard to keep them up either.

She supposed things were different now. Canton High wasn't nearly as run-down as her old school had been. The kids were a lot friendlier and she didn't feel the need to constantly ditch class (of course, it happened every now and then, but that wasn't the point).

There was a knock at her door. "Diamond?" came her aunt's voice. "Your friend Ash is here to see you."

"Send her in."

The redhead came through the door a few seconds later. "Hey, you," she greeted, seating herself next to the girl.

"Hi, Ash," Diamond mumbled, sitting herself up. "What's up?"

Ash smirked, pinching her cheek lightly. "Well, someone failed to tell me about what happened with you and Ish," she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

She groaned. "Ash, can we not talk about this?" she begged. "How do you even know, anyway?"

The freckled girl's smirk widened. "Troy just happened to see the two of you last week," she explained innocently. "You know he couldn't wait to tell the rest of us."

Diamond made a mental note to get back at him later. "Like you're one to talk," she threw at her friend. "We all know that you and Ricky are doing a lot more than just homework during those 'study sessions.'"

Ash's cheeks turned a rosy red. "He needed help with family studies," she lied. They both knew it was no use, Diamond had a second sense when it came to these things.

Diamond snickered delicately into her hand. "A hands-on lesson, I bet." She noticed the girl's face drop and gave her a sympathetic look. "Still won't move forward with you, huh?"

Ash threw her hands up in frustration. "He barely touches me!" she complained, leaning on the taller girl. "I mean, I know we're too young for anything drastic, but he treats me like I'm made of glass!"

Diamond patted her head. "Talk to him about it," she advised. "He could just be afraid of pushing you into something you're not ready for."

Ash huffed, but seemed to consider her words. "Maybe you're right..." Suddenly, both of their NFL-Rs went off at the same time. "Looks like I'll have to tell him later, though. RZ needs us."

OoOoOo

"Welcome, Guardians," greeted RZ as all seven of them entered the HOK. Diamond made sure to stand as far as possible from Ish as she could without it looking suspicious. This didn't go unnoticed by the African American boy, but he knew that this wasn't the time nor place to say anything to her about it. "I apologize for pulling you away so suddenly."

Ricky waved it off. "No prob, RZ. What's up?"

"We think that there's Anticorian activity near the Baltimore area," explained the AI. "We aren't sure, but it could be Stellaria, Zich, or Angkoro."

"Do all of us need to go?" asked Tua.

"No," answered RZ. "Just two of you is fine. We need to lay low as to not arouse suspicion, so no transforming."

"Diamond and I will go," Ash volunteered, taking the other girl's arm.

Diamond looked at her, affronted. "When did I agree to this?" she asked, almost genuinely confused. She had hardly been paying attention during the last few minutes and had missed most of the briefing. She had been lost in thought, thinking about various things. Ish, her aunt, her deceased parents, just to name a few... The usual.

The redhead elbowed her not-so-subtly. "Yes," she hissed through clenched teeth before returning her attention to the AI. "You can send us now."

"Very well. Prepare for passage to Baltimore."

Ash practically dragged Diamond by her arm all the way to the Ravens' passage. "We'll see you all soon!" she called over her shoulder.

OoOoOo

"Mind telling me why I was forced to Baltimore?"

Ash chuckled. "I just have a good feeling about this lookout," she answered cryptically. "Plus, we didn't get to finish our talk from earlier. What is it with you and Ish?"

Diamond blushed. "Nothing," she lied.

"Whatever you say, Di-" Ash cut herself off with a gasp.

"What?" asked Diamond immediately. "What's wrong?"

The redhead merely pointed above them. "Look," she whispered. Diamond did as she was told, glancing up at the sky. Ascending down on them was a small, red spaceship. Two people came off it once it landed, one a boy and another a girl. Both of them looked to be their age.

"Well, I guess your feeling was pretty spot-on," remarked the African-American girl.

Ash stared for a moment before letting out an ear-piecing screech. " _BELLAN_!" She rushed over to the boy, throwing her arms around him. "Oh my god, how are you here? _Why_ are you here?"

This Bellan rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, I have some news that I think it would be best to share with RZ and the other guardians."

" _Ash_ ," hissed Diamond, nudging her friend. "Maybe we should get out of sight before someone sees the _two aliens with us_."

"I wouldn't worry about that," chimed in the girl. "Only those with the core inside them can see our ship." She regarded her with calculating eyes. ""

"Melane, you're here too?"

Diamond sighed. "I think we should get back to the HOK," she suggested.

OoOoOo

 **I think that the Anticorian episode is my favorite. Please review!**


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